Compared to the cephalothorax, the abdomen is usually the larger part of a spider’s body. The abdomen contains much of a spider’s web-making machinery, including the spinnerets and silk glands.

Understanding how the stretching process strengthens spider silk is a key part of helping design stronger, biodegradable, silk-inspired materials for various applications. When spiders spin their webs ...

Spider silk is produced in a special organ with a charming name: the ‘spinneret.’ These are usually found on the spider’s abdomen – towards the rear and on the underside.

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories has developed transgenic silkworms to produce spider silk in commercial quantities.

Spider silk's potential in biomedicine and materials science hindered by limited natural production. Japanese researchers turn to tobacco plants for scalable solution.

Humans have historically failed to harvest this super-strong substance because spiders are so hard to domesticate. Could the silk be made without them?

Spider silk is a remarkable material, offering high tensile strength and natural elasticity. In this article, learn how a group of scientists are currently exploring its untapped potential in medical ...

An effort to engineer silkworms to produce spider silk brings us closer than ever to exploiting the extraordinary properties of this arachnid fiber.

With the potential for large-scale commercialization, spider-worm silk is poised to transform the textile industry while contributing to a cleaner, greener planet.

Spider silk is a wonder material—but exceedingly hard to manufacture. Thanks to genetic engineering, we may now have a way to make spider silk at scale.